Health Benefits of Consuming Dates

1. Dates are free from cholesterol and contain very low fat. Dates are rich in vitamins and minerals.
2. They are rich source of protein, dietary fiber and rich in vitamin B1, B2, B3 and B5 along with vitamin A1 and C.
3. It helps improve the digestive system as it contains soluble and insoluble fibers and different kinds of amino acids.
4. Dates are great energy boosters as they contain natural sugars like glucose, sucrose and fructose. To get more advantage add dates to milk and make it a very nutritious snack. Dates are very low in calories and are extremely suitable for health conscious people.
5. Dates are rich in potassium and reduced in sodium. This helps regulate a healthy nervous system. Researches have revealed the fact that potassium intake up to a certain extent can reduce risk of stroke. Dates also help in lowering of the LDL cholesterol.
6. Dates have high iron content and are very useful in treating anemia. The patients can eat many dates for better advantages. Dates also have fluorine that slows down the process of tooth decay.
7. It helps people suffering from constipation. Soak dates overnight and take it along with water to have added advantage.
8. It helps increase one’s sexual stamina. Soak one handful of dates in goat’s milk overnight. In the morning grind the dates in the milk and add honey and cardamom powder and drink it.
9. Dates help in weight gain and are beneficial for those who suffer from over slimming problem. Dates are excellent for alcoholic intoxication.

Honey uses

1. Soothe sore throats and coughs: Honey’s antibiotic and antiviral properties make it great for treating sore throats and coughs. It coats the throat and helps reduce irritation. Add a spoonful into a warm cup of lemon tea, or just eat it right off the spoon!
2. Treat cuts, burns and scrapes: Smooth a thick layer of honey over minor cuts and burns, and it acts as an antibiotic ointment to help kill any bacteria, reduce inflammation, and protect the exposed skin from dirt and debris.
3. Replace the processed sugar: Instead of granulated sugar, use raw honey to sweeten things like yogurt, smoothies, and almond milk, or stir a spoonful into your morning cup of coffee or tea. If replacing the sugar called for in a baked recipe, it’s better to use just regular, pasteurized (organic, if possible) honey, since it will be heated during baking anyways.
4. Wash your face: Raw honey, softened between your palms, and massaged all over your face, first thing in the morning, on a dry face – try it and you’ll love your sparkling, soft skin. It can even help with acne – just apply a small amount to blemishes every night, and you should notice results within a week.
5. Treat allergies: Raw, local honey taken a couple times a day, starting a few month before allergy season has been found to relieve seasonal allergies. It must be local honey, however, since it will contain tiny amounts of pollen from local plants, which will act as a sort of vaccine against the allergens found in that plant.
6. Improve your sleep: Add some honey to a lukewarm glass of milk or tea (or on it’s own!) right before bedtime for a better night’s rest. Honey helps your body release melatonin into the brain, which promotes a deeper, more restorative sleep.
7. Support good bacteria: Honey contains probiotics that help support the growth and activity of good bacteria in our gut, making it very efficient for digestion. Since it doesn’t ferment in the stomach, it’s easily absorbed and be used to treat indigestion.
8. Relieve constipation: Make a lukewarm tea by mixing a spoonful of raw honey and a couple spoons of raw apple cider vinegar into warm water, to help naturally relieve constipation.

A word of caution: Since honey contains natural botulism spores, make sure not to give honey to children under the age of 1 year, as their intestinal tract is not mature enough to inhibit the growth of botulism.

Health benefits of honey

Honey Health Benefits:-
The benefits of honey go beyond its great taste. A great natural source of carbohydrates which provide strength and energy to our bodies, honey is known for its effectiveness in instantly boosting the performance, endurance and reduce muscle fatigue of athletes. Its natural sugars play an important role in preventing fatigue during exercise. The glucose in honey is absorbe

d by the body quickly and gives an immediate energy boost, while the fructose is absorbed more slowly providing sustained energy. It is known that honey has also been found to keep levels of blood sugar fairly constant compared to other types of sugar.

Few tips:-

1. Next time before you go for a workout, take a spoon of honey to enable you to go for the extra mile.

2. If you are feeling low and lethargic in the morning, instead of reaching out for a can of carbonated energy drink , try honey. Spread it on hot toast or replace the sugar in your tea with it for a refreshing surge of energy.
3. If your kids are finding hard to cope with the physical strain from the buzzing activities at school, prepare them some sandwiches with honey, butter and ham to make sure they have enough energy to sustain through the day. My kids are delighted when they see me prepare warm honey water in their bottles. They couldn't care a bit about the health benefits of honey, but simply love the taste of it!

 

Immunity System Builder:-

Amongst the many health benefits of honey, what is most impressive to me is that honey can be a powerful immune system booster. It's antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties can help improve digestive system and help you stay healthy and fight disease. Start every brand new day with this cleansing tonic if you want to see this health benefit of honey: before breakfast, mix a spoonful of honey and lemon juice from half a lemon into a cup of warm water and drink it.

Honey Helpful for Healthy Individuals and Those with High Cholesterol, Type 2 Diabetes

In a series of experiments involving healthy subjects and those with either high cholesterol or type 2 diabetes, honey has proved itself the healthiest sweetener.

For 15 days, 8 healthy subjects, 6 patients with high cholesterol, 5 patients with high cholesterol and high C-reactive protein (a risk factor for cardiovascular disease), and 7 patients with type 2 diabetes were given solutions containing comparable amounts of sugar, artificial honey or natural honey.

In healthy subjects, while sugar and artificial honey had either negative or very small beneficial effects, natural honey reduced total cholesterol 7%, triglycerides 2%, C-reactive protein 7%, homocysteine 6% and blood sugar 6%, and increased HDL (good) cholesterol 2%. (Like C-reactive protein, homocysteine is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease.)

In patients with high cholesterol, artificial honey increased LDL (bad) cholesterol, while natural honey decreased total cholesterol 8%, LDL cholesterol 11%, and C-reactive protein 75%.

 

And in patients with type 2 diabetes, natural honey caused a significantly lower rise in blood sugar than either dextrose or sucrose (refined sugars). So, enjoy a little honey in your morning coffee, lunchtime yogurt or afternoon cup of green tea. Looks like a daily spoonful of honey may help your need for medicine go down.

Bermuda Grass (Arugampul) Benifits

Bermuda Grass (Arugampul)

Arugampul also called as Cynodon dactylon, Bermuda grass, dog's tooth grass, Bahama grass, Scutch grass, Devils grass or Cough grass.

It is amazing to hear that the consumption of this juice clears lot of ailments , the treatment which requires heavy cost.

This type of grass is found plenty in the Asian countries and particularly in India and Srilanka, these can be seen wildly over the roadside and can be used abundantly.

Bermuda grass is the oldest variety among plants. It is said that this grass weathered and withstood all the evolutionary changes through millions of years. The Indian medical systems list out various benefits of this wonderful grass.

Fifteen Medical Wonders of Bermuda Grass

Bermuda grass, (botanical name Cynodan dactylon) called Durva grass in Indian systems, is a wonderful plant of nature. It is also called Bahama grass, Couch grass, dog grass, (arugampullu in Tamil) and Twitch grass. It has weathered and withstood the evolutionary changes that have taken place over time. It has the capacity to withstand any drought. It is the staple food for cattle, favourite of horses and rabbits. It gives them enormous energy to run fast.

Three wonderful facts about Bermuda grass

1) In India it is believed that a tiger never eats grass. But it is a fact that it eats grass whenever it has a stomach problem.

2) The goose eats grass and rolls in grass immediately after its fight with a snake.

3) Sometimes we can see our household animals like cats and dogs chewing grass and spitting it on the ground. It is a kind of medication that nature has provided them.

Wonderful Medical Benefits of Bermuda Grass

Researches have shown that this grass has many medicinal properties. It is widely used in India for grass juice, an excellent remedy for many diseases. Bermuda grass is an indigenous plant of Asia and is superior to wheat grass. It contains crude protein, fiber, calcium, phosphorus and potash.

Bermuda grass juice can be prepared with a handful of grass without the roots (approximately 100 gram). Wash it and cut it into small pieces. Grind it in a mixer with enough water and press it for juice. Coconut water or tender coconut water can also be missed. Do not mix any other thing. Take one glass of this juice daily in the morning in empty stomach. Hold it in mouth for a few seconds to mix with saliva before swallowing it. It is important that food can be taken only after one or two hours.

Fifteen assured benefits of Bermuda grass

1) Bermuda grass is alkaline and helps our health

Most of the food we take are acidic and spoil our health. Grass is an alkaline food which is good for our health. This reduces acidity.

2) Tones up nerves

It is a very good tonic for our health and tones up our nervous system. It is suitable for all ages. Begin with a small quantity as in the initial stage you may feel slightly uneasy.

3) Removes toxins from the body

Constipation is the father of diseases. Grass juice is very good for removing the toxins from your body. It cleanses the blood system.

4) Produces hemoglobin

It contains chlorophyll, life energy, protein and minerals. The chlorophyll is the basis for the production of red cells in blood. Moreover, it also speeds up the red cell production.

5) Immunity to body system

It improves the immunization power of your system and protects you from diseases. It is a natural shield of our body.

6) Reduces obesity

Obesity has become a great menace today and is causing a lot of problems. Grass juice reduces your belly protecting you from obesity.

7) Strengthens teeth

Modern life style is creating more teeth problems. It strengthens teeth and removes the bad odor of the mouth. It also stops bleeding of the gums. Chewing the grass and brushing with it can clean the teeth.

8) Good for breast feeding and infants

One or two spoons of grass juice can be given to infants as tonic which provides good nutrition and improves their health. It protects them from common cold, cough, etc. It also helps their teething. Grass juice improves the quality and quantity of mother’s milk.

9) Best for diabetes

Recent researches have proved that grass juice is the best medicine for diabetes. Grass juice corners are increasing in great number in the Indian cities and villages.

10) Cures all kinds of skin diseases

Grass is used as a remedy for all skin diseases including leprosy.

11) Remedy for piles

Grass juice taken with fasting helps greatly in piles cases. It can cure also the wounds and stop bleeding.

12) A good help in bronchial troubles

Asthma, bronchial disorders and tuberculosis are cured by taking grass juice. It clears the congested lungs.

13) An unfailing elixir for women problems

Grass juice helps women very much during their menstrual periods. It solves many of the menstrual problems. It cures the headaches and other troubles that they get.

14) Energy to withstand hunger

It gives energy to withstand hunger for three to four hours, during which time the inner organs of the body can get good rest.

15) A boost for sex life

Modern sex life is much affected by the fast routines and stress. This grass gives much relief from all these by improving sexual vigor and vitality.

Bermuda grass is an astringent, diuretic, depurative, expectorant, demulcent, haemostatic, carminative and stimulant tonic. Grass juice and powder is available in Indian Khadi Bhavans and other nature cure stores. Many people, nowadays, find the grass powder to be more useful.

Benefits of dates

9 Amazing Health Benefits Of Dates:

Cholesterol & Fat: Dates are good choice who are looking to loss weight.In any weight loss diet plan dates are included,because dates are free from any type of cholesterol and also contain less amount of fat.

Proteins: Dates are rich source of proteins and essential minerals that helpful to body functioning. Proteins are main building blocks for muscles.

Vitamins: Who are looking up to overcome vitamin deficiency dates are good choice.It contains almost all vitamins such as B1,B2,B3,B5 are very common and also A1 and C vitamin.

Energy: Energy is very important in our busy schedule.Natural sugars present in the dates will helps to boost up your energy in the body and gives you instant result.

Potassium & Sodium: Dates are rich source of potassium which will helps to protect us from the risk of a stroke in the body.It also reduce cholesterol.High amount of potassium and less amount of sodium is a good combination for a healthy nervous system.

Iron: Dates are rich source of iron which can be helpful in iron deficiency.Most of the people fails to consume adequate amount of iron because of adding other ingredients in their meal.Fluorine present in the dates are also helps from tooth decaying.

Constipation: People suffering with constipation(difficulty in emptying the bowels) for those people dates soaked in water will gives better result.

Detoxifying the body: Dates are also used to detoxifying the body after over consumption of alcohol.Dates are also helpful to gain weight who are suffering with under weight problems such as iron,proteins and vitamin deficiency.


Skin problems: By consuming dates we can combat so many skin problems such as stretch marks vitamin B deficiency.Lack of vitamin B may cause different skin problems.It has a natural source of vitamin B.It can also strengthen hair follicle and prevent hair loss.

Nature’s Cough Suppressant

Honey has been used for centuries to help alleviate some of the symptoms associated with a common cold. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, many things can cause a sore throat. These include infections with viruses, such as colds and flu; sinus drainage; allergies; or cigarette smoking, among others. Sore throats caused by bacteria such as streptococci, are usually treated with antibiotics. Always check with your doctor if you have a fever, or if symptoms continue for more than a few days.

Time is the most important healer of sore throats caused by viruses, but for relief of the irritating symptoms, try a spoonful of honey to soothe and coat your throat. Take a spoonful straight, as often as you need, to relieve the irritation. In between, keep up your liquids with a steaming cup of tea sweetened with honey. For added vitamin C, try mixing in orange, grapefruit or lemon juice. 

A 2007 study by a Penn State College of Medicine research team found that honey may offer parents an effective and safe alternative to over-the-counter cough medicine. The study found that a small dose of buckwheat honey given before bedtime provided better relief of nighttime cough and sleep difficulty in children than no treatment or dextromethorphan (DM), a cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cold medications.

Be aware, of course, that honey should not be fed to infants under one year of age. Honey is a safe and wholesome food for older children and adults.

Honey proves a better option for childhood cough than OTCs

Hershey, Pa. — Now that the safety and effectiveness of children’s cough medicines are in question, what can parents do to help their child deal with a troublesome cough?

A new study by a Penn State College of Medicine research team found that honey may offer parents an effective and safe alternative. The study found that a small dose of buckwheat honey given before bedtime provided better relief of nighttime cough and sleep difficulty in children than no treatment or dextromethorphan (DM), a cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cold medications.

Honey did a better job reducing the severity, frequency and bothersome nature of nighttime cough from upper respiratory infection than DM or no treatment. Honey also showed a positive effect on the sleep quality of both the coughing child and the child’s parents. DM was not significantly better at alleviating symptoms than no treatment.

These findings are especially notable since an FDA advisory board recently recommended that over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines not be given to children less than 6 years old because of their lack of effectiveness and potential for side effects.

The results are published by Penn State College of Medicine researchers, led by Ian Paul, M.D., M.Sc., in this month’s Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

In a previous study published in 2004, Paul and colleagues showed that neither DM nor diphenhydramine, another common component of cold medications, performed better than a placebo at reducing nighttime cough or improving sleep quality. However, honey has been used for centuries in some cultures to treat upper respiratory infection symptoms like cough, and is considered to be safe for children over 12 months old. Honey has well-established antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, which could explain its contributions to wound healing. Honey also soothes on contact, which may help explain its effect on cough as suggested by the World Health Organization.

In the latest study, the researchers enrolled 105 children between the ages of 2 and 18 at a single university-affiliated physician practice site. On the first night of the study, children received no treatment. Parents answered five questions about their child’s cough and sleep quality as well as about their own sleep quality. On the second night, children received either honey, artificial honey-flavored DM or no treatment about a half hour prior to going to bed. Parents answered the same five questions the following morning.

The randomized study was partially double-blinded: Medical staff did not know what treatment each participating family received when distributing their sealed syringe-containing envelope. Parents of children who received honey or artificial honey-flavored DM in a measured syringe were blinded to their treatment group. Parents of children in the no treatment group received an empty syringe, and therefore were aware of their child’s treatment group.

Across the board, parents rated honey as significantly better than DM or no treatment for symptomatic relief of their child’s nighttime cough and sleep difficulty. In a few cases, parents did report mild side effects with the honey treatment, such as hyperactivity.

"Our study adds to the growing literature questioning the use of DM in children, but it also offers a legitimate and safe alternative for physicians and parents,” said Paul, a pediatrician, researcher and associate professor of pediatrics at Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Children’s Hospital. “Additional studies should certainly be considered, but we hope that medical professionals will consider the positive potential of honey as a treatment given the lack of proven efficacy, expense, and potential for adverse effects associated with the use of DM.”

Potentially dangerous effects of DM in young children include dystonic reactions, severe involuntary muscle contractions and spasms. Further, DM is a commonly used as a drug of abuse by adolescents.

Cough is the reason for nearly three percent of all outpatient visits in the United States, more than any other symptom. It is particularly bothersome at night because it disrupts sleep. Consumers spend billions of dollars each year on OTC cough and cold medications despite little evidence that these drugs provide significant relief.

This study was funded by an unrestricted grant from the National Honey Board, an industry-funded agency of the United States Department of Agriculture.

Honey Usage and Storage Tips

Storage

Store honey at room temperature – your kitchen counter or pantry shelf is ideal. Storing honey in the refrigerator accelerates the honey’s crystallization. Crystallization is the natural process of glucose sugar molecules aligning into orderly arrangements known as crystals. It is not an indicator of spoilage, impurity, age or quality.

If your honey crystallizes, simply place the honey jar in warm water and stir until the crystals dissolve, or place the honey container into near boiling water that has been removed from the heat:

1. Bring a pan of water to a boil
2. Turn off the heat
3. Place the honey container in the water with cap open
4. Leave until both have cooled
5. Repeat as needed

Cooking Tips

For best results, use recipes developed for using honey. When you substitute honey for granulated sugar in recipes, begin by substituting honey for up to half of the sugar called for in the
recipe.

With experimentation, honey can be substituted for all the sugar in some recipes.

When substituting honey for sugar in baked goods:

• Reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used.
• Add about 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used.
• Reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees to prevent over-browning.

For easy measuring and clean-up, coat measuring cup or spoon with cooking spray before adding honey.

A 12-ounce jar of honey equals a standard measuring cup.

Spiced Mandarin Orange Tea with Honey

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp. - honey
• 12 mandarin oranges  - juice , (with the pulp)
• 4 mandarin oranges - rind 
• 4 cups - water
• 4 - star anise pods
• ½ tsp.  - nutmeg, ground
• ½ tsp.  - cinnamon, ground
• 1 - cinnamon stick 
• 1 tbsp. - vanilla extract
• extra cinnamon sticks , (optional garnish)

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Directions

Place all of the ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Cover with lid and heat over high heat. Stir every so often and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and boil for another 30 minutes without lid, until all the flavors are well combined and the aroma of the spices is strong.

Before serving, strain the tea to remove the pieces of rind and any residue. Serve hot and decorate each cup with a stick of cinnamon if desired.

Place all of the ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Cover with lid and heat over high heat. Stir every so often and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and boil for another 30 minutes without lid, until all the flavors are well combined and the aroma of the spices is strong. Before serving, strain the tea to remove the pieces of rind and any residue. Serve hot and decorate each cup with ... [read full recipe below]

Coconut Cream Honey Eggnog

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. - honey
• 1 cup  - coconut milk
• ½ cup  - condensed milk
• 1 cup - evaporated milk
• 2 - egg yolks
• 2 tsp.  - cinnamon, ground
• 1 cup  - rum, (optional)

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Directions

Place the three milks, the cinnamon and the yolks in a blender and blend. Next, pour the mixture into a medium-sized saucepan and cook over low-medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the rum and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain to eliminate any solid residue. Store the eggnog in the refrigerator for 5 to 8 hours before serving.

*The rum can be left out for a kid-friendly version.

Place the three milks, the cinnamon and the yolks in a blender and blend. Next, pour the mixture into a medium-sized saucepan and cook over low-medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the rum and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain to eliminate any solid residue. Store the eggnog in the refrigerator for 5 to 8 hours before serving. *The rum can be left out for a ... [read full recipe below]

Honey Carrot Soup

Honey Carrot Soup

Place carrots, onion and chicken broth in large saucepan. Cover and simmer over medium heat about 15 minutes or until carrots are tender. Transfer mixture to blender or processor; blend until smooth. Return to saucepan. Add honey and milk. Return to simmer. *Subsititute 1 (20-ounce) package of frozen sliced carrots, if desired.

YIELD: 4 SERVINGS

Nutritional Information

• Calories: 169
• Fat Total: 2 g
• Cholesterol: 5 mg
• Protein: 6 g
• Carbohydrates: 33 g
• Sodium: 460 mg
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Calories from Fat: 11%

Ingredients

• 1 lb. - carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cups - reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 - onion, chopped
• 1 cup - 2% low-fat milk
• 1/4 cup - honey
• Ground nutmeg
• Minced chives

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Directions

Place carrots, onion and chicken broth in large saucepan. Cover and simmer over medium heat about 15 minutes or until carrots are tender. Transfer mixture to blender or processor; blend until smooth. Return to saucepan. Add honey and milk. Return to simmer. *Subsititute 1 (20-ounce) package of frozen sliced carrots, if desired.

SERVING SUGGESTION

Serve hot sprinkled with nutmed. Garnish with chives. May be served chilled, if desired.

Six Black Super Foods you should know

Black Super Foods

You are used to hearing how good green foods are for you.  But now when it comes to ‘superfoods’, black is most definitely the new green! While greens are lauded for their plant pigment content, which is believed to lower the risks of diabetes, heart trouble, and cancer.

Black foods, due to their high pigment levels, black foods contain more antioxidants than lighter colour foods. The antioxidant that is prevalent in black foods is a type of flavonoid called ‘anthocyanin’. Research suggests that these anthocyanins protect us against free radicals and in turn can shield us from DNA damage, which may lead to cancer.

Black Rice
 Scientists from Louisiana State University have hailed black rice as the new cancer fighting superfood on the market.  The Chinese have long known about the nutritional value of this grain – so much so that it was called the ‘forbidden rice’ and only nobles were allowed to eat it. It contains high levels of vitamin E (which is great for skin and the immune system) but is also low in sugar, making it a great alternative to white rice. Dr Zhimn Xu at Louisiana State University commented after a study conducted on black rice that ” just one spoonful of black rice contains more health-promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries but with less sugar and more fiber and vitamin E”

Blackberries Another food high in antioxidants are blackberries, which are jam-packed with polyphenols that protect against signs of aging. They are also rich in fibre.  Why not try adding them to your cereal in the morning or smoothies, which will add an instant boost to your day.

Black Tea 
Although you will be used to green and white tea getting all the attention about their health benefits, the flavins, a type of antioxidants found in black tea, may help you recover from soreness of muscles after an intense workout. A study conducted at the Rutgers University, New Jersey, also suggests that drinking black tea may help you avoid the risk of having a heart attack.  Black tea has been shown to improve oral health and is a very easy superfood to incorporate into your diet.

Black Grapes
 Research has shown that black grapes can contain up to 600mg anthocyanins, which is 100mg more than berries according to a study cited in the American Journal of Nutrition. Black grape’s greatness lies in their skins -the stronger the colour, the higher the concentration of flavanoids and, therefore, the more antioxidants they contain. They have been show to reduce the risks of heart disease and help protect against DNA damage that ages skin. That glass of red wine just became even more attractive – but just the one!

Black Beans 
When it comes to black beans, the bioflavanoids packed in their dark skins, are just one of the reasons they make it on to the superfood list, since recent studies have shown that bioflavanoids can protect against cancer. But black beans are also full of fibre and protein – in just one cup you get nearly 15 grams of fibre (over half of your RDA) and 15 grams of protein (a third of your RDA) making them great for digestion and maintaining blood sugar levels. Add them to soups or salads for an easy way of incorporating them into your diet.

Black Lentils They are full of iron, which is good, especially in case of women, as just one cup of these lentils will supply you with about 8 milligrams of iron, almost half of your daily requirement of 18 milligrams. The soluble fibre is also present in high quantity, which not only helps you lower your cholesterol but also supplements your immunity.